Midnight, NYC
by nikinou
Summary: Part 5. After season 7, ep. 14 - Stan and Peggy Listening to the radio and talking into the night


"The flutter of wings, the shadow across the moon, the sounds of the night, as the Nightbird spreads her wings and soars, above the earth, into another level of comprehension, where we exist only to feel. Come, fly with me, Alison Steele, the Nightbird, at WNEW-FM, until dawn..." so says the seductive, haunting voice of the DJ over Andean pan flute music. This means it's midnight in New York, when the Nightbird begins her overnight shift.

Peggy is in Stan's bed, physically and emotionally exhausted and spent, but still unable to fall asleep. Stan is lying back with his left arm tucked behind his head, a cigarette in his right hand. The room is dark but for the glow of the cigarette, the moonlight and city lights outside.

This has been quite a day. Stan telling her he loves her. Realizing that she loves him too, and the sweet consummation that followed, all evening long.

Peggy reaches over for Stan's cigarette, brings it to her lips and takes a long drag.

"What are you thinking about, Pegs" Stan asks her in a lazy drawl.

"I don't know, I'm thinking about today, and all that happened. To be honest, I just started thinking about Don again. I'm really worried."

Although he did advise her to "let him go", he knows that this would never be entirely possible. Don was her mentor, her champion and he was a friend to her. She could never just forget about him, and Stan never expected her to.

"Do you remember exactly what he said to you?" Stan wanted to know.

"I dunno...well, he said he wasn't the man I thought he was, he broke all his vows...he just sounded awful, desperate. I don't know. I asked where he was...he tells me 'somewhere in California'...what the hell does that mean?" Peggy is anxious just talking about him.

She continues "I told him to come home, he tells me he can't get out of there. I don't think HE even knew where he was."

"Peggy, think. Why was he calling...what did he say? Think now." Stan is pushing her.

"I AM thinking, you think I'm not thinking?" She is defensive.

"Ok, sorry. Calm down, you're making me nervous. Focus." Stan takes his cigarette back.

"Um, he said he realized that he never said goodbye to me". She felt sick recalling that. "Do you think..." her voice trailed off.

"No. No, I don't think he would ever. Please don't get crazy thoughts in your head. He will be fine, and he will be back. Just be patient. He's done this before...he does this, you know that." Stan was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince Peggy.

Peggy takes a long, deep breath. God, she hopes he is right. But Stan is usually right. He does understand people, better than she does, anyway. She reaches for the cigarette again. Van Morrison is playing on the radio...

We were born before the wind

Also younger than the sun

Ere the bonnie boat was won

As we sailed into the mystic

The sound of the saxophone is soothing her jangled nerves. She is thinking about how nice it would be to be sailing...into the mystic. She does remember something Don said now.

"Stan, just before he hung up, he said 'See you soon'".

"Ok, ya see. He is going to be fine. Look, the guy is entitled to have some bad days. Not everybody is all together, all the time. He drinks too much. Hopefully he's drying out a little out there." Stan tells her.

"I don't think we should be judging him. We ALL drink a little too much. And you smoke too much weed". Peggy wants to defend Don.

"Am I the topic of this conversation now? Because I don't like where this is going." Stan is becoming a little irritated.

Peggy is about to snap at him, then thinks to herself..."No. Don't do it."

"No Stan, you're not. I'm sorry...I'm just worried" she says softly to him.

Stan is relieved that this won't escalate. He just wants her to relax, not worry. "If Don said 'See you soon" he WILL be back, just watch. He puts out the cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand.

Peggy hopes he's right. She puts her head on his chest and pulls herself close to him. She feels very safe here, very at home.

Allison Steele's sultry voice wafts from the radio. "That was Mr. Van Morrison, Into the Mystic. Now I would like to play a song from Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline. Lay Lady Lay"

Stan tells Peggy "I love this song. It reminds me of you. Listen to it."

Peggy has heard the song many, many times, but never really listened to it. She knew she liked the way Dylan sang this one, better than his more nasal style. She felt like he sounded...more honest? She listened to Bob Dylan crooning, paying close attention to the lyrics.

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed

Whatever colors you have in your mind

I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine.

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed

Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile

Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile

His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean

And you're the best thing that he's ever seen.

Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile

Why wait any longer for the world to begin

You can have your cake and eat it too

Why wait any longer for the one you love

When he's standing in front of you.

Listening so intently, Peggy feels a wave of emotion, she was particularly struck by the line.."Why wait any longer for the one you love, When he's standing in front of you."

How long had Stan been thinking about her, wondering if she would lay across his bed?

Stan is softly singing along with Dylan..

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed

Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead

I long to see you in the morning light

I long to reach for you in the night

Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead.

"What do you say, Lady? Are you gonna stay with your man?" Stan asks her playfully.

"I'm never leaving" she whispers back to him.

"Good. Because I don't want you to leave." He kisses her forehead.


End file.
